Energy Giants Spell Out Plans for Climate Resilience

New reports released by Defra, detail plans that will bolster efforts to bolster climate changes that are to be implemented by the Big Six.

The report was released a couple of days after heavy storms crossed north Scotland, bringing down two turbines and power cables leaving thousands of homes without electricity.

The government, yesterday released the climate adaption plans that detail how the biggest energy companies intend to make energy infrastructure to be more resilient to the impact of climate forces, this includes frequent storms in winter.

The reports, requested by Defra, confirms that the biggest energy companies are progressing well in preparing for climate risks, such as, floods, extreme storm and heat waves.

The report also warns that further investment will be required in the future for adapting the UKís energy infrastructure so that it can cope with the predicted climate change situations of hotter and drier summers as well as wetter winters that will be milder.

Lord Taylor, minister of Defra, on a visit to E.ONís power station in Enfield, has urged utilities to increase their climate change adaption and also to take steps for improving resilience.

The countryís energy supply is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as, droughts, floods, heat waves, difficulties with cooling, in recent times weíve seen the effects of flooding in a substation when it knocks out power to thousands of businesses and homes.

The reports shows that the energy companies are taking positive steps towards reducing these risks, however, there is no room for being complacent, and that much more needs to be done to ensure power supply and that in future decades there must also be economic growth.

Steps outlined in the reports details what energy companies are doing to improve resilience, one of which is the £112 million investment that has been approved by Ofgem to enhance flood protection measures for vulnerable power stations, other measures for E.ON and Npower for them to improve the reliability of supply of water and also cooling systems at many power stations.

The report also outlines ways that Energy Networks Association, the DECC, and Ofgem are working together to limit subsidence on transmission lines and drought impact on the power stations.

Spokesperson for Defra has told BusinessGreen that the reports are to inform the departmentís climate change risk assessment, which is to be published next month.

This risk assessment will provide the basis for the new adaption strategy. This is due to be completed in 2013.

This assessment will put into detail where the largest impacts, socially and financially will be, so that they can work out priorities as well as develop a national adaption plan, to set out actions and policies that are needed to be taken.